Meira Kumar files nomination papers for Presidential Election 2017

New Delhi : Meira Kumar, the Opposition nominee for the Presidential Election 2017, filed her nomination papers on Wednesday morning at the Parliament House in New Delhi in the presence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Ajay Maken and Opposition leaders. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury and TMC's Derek O'Brien were also be present as Kumar filed her nomination papers. The

Presidential Election are scheduled to be held on July 17.

On Sunday, Meira Kumar had appealed to members of the electoral college to "heed the inner voice of conscience" while casting their votes in the July 17 election and said the President's office "cannot function to serve narrow political interests". She debuted on the micro-blogging website Twitter on Monday.

Earlier on June 23, the presidential candidate of NDA

Ram Nath Kovind filed his nomination papers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states were also present. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi K. Palaniswami were also present during the filing of the nomination.

So far, 64 nomination papers have been filed for the Presidential Election 2017, including that of Kovind. Interestingly, as one candidate can file a maximum of four nominations, the actual number of candidates is much less at 57.

The Presidential Election 2017 will be held on July 17. The counting of votes is scheduled for July 20. Term of President Pranab Mukherjee ends on July 25.